Crimean oil depot targeted by missiles: Update from Ukrainian General Staff at 09:28.
Ukrainian troops struck a Russian-held oil depot in the Crimean port of Kavkaz, according to the Ukrainian military. Residents had previously reported blasts and a major fire at Kavkaz port, as several videos circulating on social media allegedly displayed the attack. The depot allegedly sustained damage from multiple Neptune missiles of Ukrainian origin, but there's no additional information on the extent of the damage. Ukrainian forces also targeted two ferries near the Kerch Bridge.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg voiced no concerns over the US granting Ukraine permission to attack selected Russian targets, arguing that Russia itself is fueling the escalation with its assault on another nation. At the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Prague, Stoltenberg urged Germany and other countries to also permit similar attacks with military gear they supplied. "Ukraine has the right to self-defense, including hitting legitimate military targets in Russia," confirmed Stoltenberg. This is all the more crucial given the conflict in the Kharkiv region close to the Russian border.
Ukrainian Air Defense units took down four Russian Shahed drones and one Iskander-K cruise missile in the night, according to Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleschtschuk via Telegram. These incidents occurred in regions of Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and one Iskander-K missile in the Kyiv area.
The casualty count from a Russian rocket strike on a residential building in Kharkiv has increased to four, with 25 more wounded. Governor of the Kharkiv area, Oleh Syniehubov, disclosed this via Telegram, also reported by state news agency Ukrinform. "Sadly, another body was discovered in the wreckage; we now have four fatalities," he shared.
As of this morning, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed nearly 1,400 Russian soldiers died or were rendered ineffective in a day around Kyiv. Since the start of the conflict in February 2022, the Ukrainian military claimed that 507,650 Russian soldiers been eradicated. The ministry's reports additionally revealed that Russia had lost 18 more tanks (7,728 total). Since the launch of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian forces estimate roughly 15,000 armored vehicles and approximately 10,500 drones had been either stolen or destroyed. However, these numbers cannot be independently verified. Russia has remained mute on its own losses in Ukraine.
Two people sustained injuries in a Ukrainian airstrike on oil facilities in the southern Russian area of Krasnodar, per local authorities, reported by Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev on Telegram. The oil depot in Temrjuk district had its infrastructure damaged by falling debris from shot-down drones, sparking a subsequent fire that was eventually extinguished. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that air defenses had downed five missiles and 29 drones launched by Ukraine at the Krasnodar area in the early morning. Incidents of drone attacks were also seen in Voronezh, Belgorod, and Tambov.
Eyewitness accounts described a string of explosions overnight in Russian-occupied Crimea. As relayed by the Crimean Wind Telegram channel, there was a series of explosions in Port Kavkaz, with residents of Kerch hearing eight to ten blasts. A blaze had been detected in the port's oil depot. The Ukrainian General Staff had previously reported two ferries from Kerch had been targeted with ATACMS missiles.
The United States military conducted an evaluation of the debris and determined that Russia uses North Korean rockets in their Ukraine campaign. "The assessment affirms that Russia is using North Korean-made ballistic missiles in their war on Ukraine. North Korean missile shards have been found in various locations in Ukraine," the DIA announced.
Chinese backing for Russia raises concerns about European security, US officials warn. US and G7 countries, along with other EU and NATO members, claim that China's support for Russia poses a threat not only to Ukraine but also to European safety, according to Vedant Patel, the deputy spokesperson for the US State Department. The previous day, Washington had accused the Chinese leadership of backing Russia's war in Ukraine, prompting threats of additional sanctions. "If China fails to limit its support for Russian arms industries, the US promises to take further actions," Patel informed reporters.
02:50 Rocket strikes residential building in Kharkiv: Three civilians die
Ruskies fire rockets from Belgorod at Kharkiv at nighttime. Kharkiv authorities report five impacts in the city, one of which hit a five-story residential building. Images located by Ukrayinska Pravda, a local newspaper, show that 20 residential buildings were damaged in the explosion. According to the report, three people died during the incident, and 16 others were wounded. Among the wounded were also two children.
01:46 SPD politician suggests using Western weapons against Russian targets
Nils Schmid, the SPD's foreign policy spokesperson, supports the idea of Ukraine employing Western weapons against Russian military targets. In regards to this undertaking, Schmid stated to Funke Media Group's newspapers that "it might make sense to lift the restriction on targets on Russian territory." However, he emphasized that this was a decision that required agreement among NATO allies.
00:06 Scholz rejects sending German troops to Ukraine and establishing no-fly zones
Chancellor Olaf Scholz categorically rules out the deployment of German soldiers in Ukraine and participation in a no-fly zone. During a reader meeting with Thuringer Allgemeine in Erfurt, he affirmed, "We do not want our soldiers to be involved." He also declined the idea of a no-fly zone, which would necessitate engaging in a conflict with Russia. "A no-fly zone would imply shooting down aircraft of other nations with one's own planes. Thus, it would mean engaging in a war." It is crucial that NATO and Russia avoid conflict, claimed Scholz, a stance echoed by US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
22:25 Leak: Biden permits use of US weapons in Russia, but with limitations
The US grants Ukraine permission to use US weapons against Russia - in the specific area of Kharkiv, reveals an insider. A US government representative confirmed this development to the public. This stands in contrast to previous statements made by US President Joe Biden, who had previously denied the employment of US weapons for attacks deep in Russia's territory. Nevertheless, the USA's condition that the Ukraine must not deploy the land-based missiles and other munitions provided by the US for offensive operations in Russia remains unaltered, as conveyed by US government officials.
22:06 Ukrainian unit records street combat in Vovchansk
The Liut Brigade, a part of the Ukrainian armed forces, is defending the city of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv border area alongside other troops. The unit recently released a video, purported to showcase street fighting within the city. The brigade claims that this footage depicts soldiers from the Tsunami Storm Regiment preventing Russian soldiers from obstructing a building.
Read also:
- The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, expressed no concerns about the US allowing Ukraine to attack select Russian targets, stating that Russia itself is escalating the conflict with its attacks on Ukraine.
- Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, called on NATO to provide more military aid and support, citing the ongoing conflict and increasing Russian aggression, including cyberwar attacks.
- The Russian military has reportedly used North Korean-made ballistic missiles in its attacks on Ukraine, according to an assessment by the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
- The conflict in Ukraine has led to increased tensions between Russia and NATO, with countries like Germany and the US discussing allowing Ukraine to launch attacks on Russian targets with military equipment supplied by them.
